Seeking a Hylian
by MickeyTaco
Summary: Prince Sidon must find a Hylian to aid him in calming down the raging of the Divine Beast Vah Ruta.


Rain. It was said to be a blessing from the Goddesses, but it was becoming too much, even for the water-loving inhabitants in Lanayru. The Divine Beast had been raging and bringing water from the sky over the Zora Domain, and there was no sign of it letting up. If allowed to continue unchecked, the Rutala Dam would give way and flooding would spread through the region of Lanayru, but it wouldn't stop there. All the water would flow downriver into the heart of Hyrule as well, leaving death and destruction in its wake.

Prince Sidon had taken it upon himself to try and stop the Divine Beast and prevent the imminent catastrophic disaster. This day had brought the final attempt of several to quell the water, but unfortunately, to no avail.

"I hate to say it, sire, but I'm afraid that you'll have to find someone else to aid in stopping Vah Ruta." The defeated comment and accompanying sigh came from Seggin as the pair of Zora sat panting on the edge of the East Reservoir Lake. "I just can't hold enough shock arrows for long enough to immobilize the Beast."

"Not to worry! You did your best. I'm certain that we will find someone who will be able to help us," the larger Zora said with his famous grin.

"Keep in mind, Prince Sidon, it's likely that you'll have to seek help from someone outside the Zora. I alone have enough shock resistance to even touch one of those without it injuring me," Seggin cautioned.

"Right! Well, perhaps, a Goron?" The prince mused. "They would definitely have the shock resistance necessary to handle the arrows."

"I'm afraid that you forget one detail regarding the Goron tribe. They sink, as they are rather heavy. And no offense to your capabilities, my prince, but I fear a Goron would prove to be too much weight for you to bear." Seggin glanced back at the taller Zora.

Sidon sat in silence for a long moment, pondering all of this. "Well, that settles it: I must find a Hylian!"

"My prince! You can't be serious! You would dare approach the people who took your beloved sister from us?" The elder Zora was aghast that such a ridiculous notion would be brought up.

"You must set aside your prejudice and think about this for a moment," Sidon explained patiently. "What other people have a natural shock resistance and can use the shock arrows, while simultaneously being small enough of stature for me to aid them in approaching Vah Ruta?"

"Please, sire, we cannot trust the Hylians! Not since what happened with the Calamity. If their Champion had been with Mipha… she might still be with us!" Seggin sputtered.

Sidon exhaled softly, knowing the argument from the Zora elders all too well. "Be that as it may, Seggin, if the choice is between the annihilation of our people and others in Hyrule, or obtaining the assistance of a skilled Hylian bowman, I will gladly choose the lives of our people, wouldn't you?"

The old Zora shook his head. "I wish it didn't have to come to that."

"If you have another solution, I'm listening," Sidon watched the other Zora drop his head in defeat, knowing there likely was no other way. "Otherwise, I'll take Gruve with me tomorrow and we shall begin our search."

"Then may the blessing of Nayru be upon you, sire." Seggin pulled himself out of the water, patted Sidon's shoulder, and headed back to his home. The Zora Prince remained seated on the edge of the lake for another few minutes, lost in his thoughts. _Mipha would understand. I mean, after all, she did love a Hylian. She would likely encourage me to make haste, for the sake of our people. And so I shall! Dearest sister, I will not let your memory down!_

"Tell me again, Prince Sidon, why we are leaving Lanayru? Surely there must be Hylians passing through the borders of our region. We can just wait for one of them to come to us." Gruve wasn't exactly keen on leaving the clean waters of his home region, nor was he shy about vocalizing his opinions.

"Time is not a luxury we have much of, I'm afraid. So we must be proactive and go seeking a Hylian bowman," Sidon explained, a grin spreading across his face. "Besides, this shall be a great adventure!"

Gruve forced a smile. "Sure will be."

The pair traveled down the river into the Lanayru wetlands, the prince's enthusiastic chatter making the time pass quickly. Sidon pointed out the Wetland Stable. "There! I'll begin there! You head further inland and see if you can find anyone, perhaps around those old ruins."

Gruve glanced in the direction of the ruins on the mountain, seeing it was a fair distance away. "Best of luck to you, sire. If I find anyone suited for the task, where shall I have them meet you?"

A pensive silence fell for several long moments before the prince spoke. "Perhaps the Inogo bridge? It's the gateway into Zora Domain, as well as a perfect opportunity to test the merits of this would-be adventurer. Yes! I think the Inogo bridge will be just right."

Gruve nodded in acknowledgment. "May the Goddess be with you."

"And also with you, my friend," Sidon replied with his signature smile. "I have no doubt we will meet again soon, having been successful!"

"I hope you're correct," Gruve mumbled as he started toward the mountain.

Sidon turned his focus back on the stable. He shook the remaining water from his garments, and strode purposefully toward the building. He could hear soft gasps from several of the people there. It wasn't every day that a Zora, much less one of his stature, came to such a place. His eyes fell first on a sturdy young man sitting underneath a tree, petting a black and white dog. A bow and quiver of arrows were laying on the grass beside him. Perfect!

"Pardon the interruption, young man, but I couldn't help but notice your bow. Are you a skilled bowsman?"

The young man looked up in surprise at the question addressed to him. His eyes widened at the sight of the stately Zora Prince. "Uhh, yes, I am. And who might you be?" He asked cautiously.

"I'm Sidon, prince of the Zora. I'm seeking a Hylian who has skills with a bow for a task of utmost importance. And who might I have the honor of addressing?" He added.

"Quince. And this is my companion, Satty. You have my curiosity piqued. Can you tell me more about this task you need assistance with?"

Sidon briefly explained what was going on with Vah Ruta, and why he sought a Hylian specifically. Quince listened quietly, his hands stroking Satty's fur. "And what of Satty?"

Sidon was taken aback. "Your dog? I'm afraid I don't understand. Would you not be able to find a suitable place for him to wait while you aided us?"

Quince shook his head. "Wherever I go, Satty goes. He is not particularly fond of water, so I'm afraid my mind would not be on my task. I fear that for this reason, I must decline. I have to protect Satty. I made a promise to my late father that I would always care for him."

"I cannot fault you for that. I thank you for your time, and I wish you all the best."

Sidon gave a small bow and left the man alone with his dog.

"It's a shame. He seemed to be a decent fellow. Of course, we all have something that we cannot live without," Sidon mused to himself. He scanned the area and didn't see anyone else who looked promising.

"Well, perhaps I'll encounter someone else on the way to meet up with Gruve."

He headed leisurely back toward the road that ran along the river. A young woman with a mahogany ponytail and a backpack was slowly approaching, heading in the direction of the stable.

Sidon raised his hand in greeting. "Greetings, my good lady! I wondered if perhaps you might have a moment to spare to discuss an issue of utmost importance?" He said politely.

The young lady stopped in her tracks, her eyes darting over the large Zora's figure. "Who the heck are you?" she asked indelicately.

Giving her his most winning smile, the prince bowed deeply. "I'm Sidon, Prince of the Zora Domain. And whom might I have the pleasure of addressing?"

She gaped at him. "You're not. Come on, don't try to pull the wool over my eyes. I'm an award-winning journalist!"

The prince straightened, his smile faltering slightly. "What reason would I have to lie to you, milady? It's most urgent that I find a Hylian to aid me in a most important task."

"An important task, you say? What of it? I'm on an important task myself! Gotta get all the information I can on the latest juicy gossip to the fine citizens of Hyrule, or my name's not Traysi!" The young woman stepped around him, bent on continuing on her way.

"Surely I cannot interest you more with the concept of heroism and legendary greatness? Or perhaps compensation, if that's more your speed?" Sidon was grasping at straws.

"Save your breath for the next fool who comes your way. Maybe they'll be more likely to believe in whatever tale you wish to push on them for attention." She called coldly as she strode purposefully onward.

Sidon watched her leave for a moment, shaking his head slightly in sadness. He now could understand the attitude his elders had for the Hylians as a people. The treatment he'd received and the demeanor of those whom he had encountered had left something to be desired. Surely not all hope was lost, however.

His musings were interrupted by a low rumble. The ground beneath his feet shook, and he threw his hands out to help keep his balance. His eyes caught glimpse of an odd spectacle. In the direction where the old ruins had been, a large spire, no, a tower rose from the rocks, an unnatural orange glow through the middle of its column. Sidon stared at it for a long moment, then on a hunch, he slowly spun in a circle, watching as roughly a dozen other spires suddenly appeared at various places throughout Hyrule. Smaller orange pillars now dotted the landscape as well. Based on what he was able to see in the direct vicinity, he could only assume that there was a vast plethora of the smaller buildings.

_It's almost as if a long-dormant power has now awoken. How unusual. Perhaps this will mean that my luck has changed, and a warrior will appear, like the Champions of old._

That thought in mind, Sidon dove into the water of the river beside him, and began the swim back to the Inogo Bridge to wait and see if Gruve had had any luck locating a Hylian for him.

Gruve was having a bad day, to put it mildly. It had started with the unwanted journey away from the comforts of the Zora Domain with the incessantly enthusiastic Prince. He had become accustomed to the babble from the future Zora ruler, and had tuned it out to a point until they had reached the Wetlands. The surprise came when Sidon had opted to send him off on his own to search for a Hylian. Gruve had no love for the Hylians, but he bore them no ill will either. His attitude was very much "live and let live" when it came to other races and peoples. He had masked this however and obeyed the orders of his ruler.

The greatest shock of the day had come when he had reached the ruins. None of the Zora ever talked about what the ruins had looked like in their prime, but Gruve could assume that they must have been rather beautiful. He circled the outside to make sure there were no monsters before venturing within, his hands gently touching what looked vaguely like part of a smooth handrail. Without warning, everything around him began shaking, and the Zora slammed his eyes shut, clutching onto the railing for dear life. _This is the end! This is how I go! Oh, sweet Nayru, welcome me into your beloved arms… _

When the rumbling and moving finally ceased, he risked opening his eyes.

"I'm not dea- OH SWEET GODDESS!" He screamed, ducking quickly back under the edge of the railing. What he'd witnessed was more than he could fathom. He was now several hundred feet in the air, atop a large tower. He sat heavily against the railing for a long moment with his eyes closed once more, panting and trying to come to grips with the reality of his present situation.

Regaining a modicum of his composure, he pushed himself to his feet and looked around, one hand firmly on the railing for support. He could see the Lanayru river far below, and he knew it would be deep enough for him to survive should be attempt the jump, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. The height was simply too much for him. There was something that passed for a ladder through the middle of the tower but Gruve ruled that idea out immediately. With his fins, and the rain-soaked surfaces, it was a recipe for disaster. So he hesitated, looking back over the edge of the railing and then back at the tower he found himself trapped on.

A short time later, a soft grunt from behind him had Gruve flinching in surprise. He whirled around to see a young man, probably in his late teens, with blonde hair and striking blue eyes clambering up the last few feet of the tower ladder. The young man was dressed in a blue tunic and beige trousers, and carried an unusual slate as well as sheathed sword on his hip. He carried a shield strapped to his back, and, much to his delight, a bow coupled with a quiver full of arrows.

"How in the world did you make it up here? And, forgive my blunt question, but are you a Hylian?"

The young man nodded, explaining in a few words that he had climbed the tower to activate it with his slate, and proceeded to show Gruve what that looked like. Moments later, the tower's glow transformed from orange to blue. The Zora looked at the young man in amazement. He turned to look back over the edge, catching sight of the red speck that was his Prince standing at the bridge.

"Oyyy, Prince Sidon! I found a Hylian!" Gruve shouted, but the rain and distance was too much for him to be heard. He turned to the young man again. "What was your name?"

"Link," replied the blond youth.

Gruve's eyes widened in recognition of the name, but he didn't allow his surprise to show otherwise. "Please, Link. You must go down to the Inogo Bridge at once. Prince Sidon is waiting, and he would very much like to speak with you."

Link nodded, pulling out a parachute, and stepping onto the edge of the railing. Before Gruve could shout a warning to him, he'd jumped off the edge, allowing the parachute to aid him in drifting down toward the bridge. Landing on his feet a few hundred yards away, the teen put the parachute back away, and jogged the remaining distance to the edge of the bridge.

"Say, hey there! Young one!" A jovial, almost musical voice called out to him. "Up top, above you!" the voice sang, and with a front flip, the larger-than-life Zora Prince landed and straightened to stand before him. "Pardon the intrusion, but you're a Hylian, aren't you? I was hoping perhaps you might have a moment to talk." The Zora gave a broad, warm smile that cut through the dimness of the overcast skies.

Link found himself giving a smile in return. Hearing of the plight of the Zoras, he eagerly agreed to help. After all, they would need all of the Divine Beasts to aid in taking down Calamity Ganon and freeing Princess Zelda.

Vah Ruta would be freed from the Blight's clutches. And the Zora Domain would be saved. He wouldn't let Sidon down.

The End


End file.
